Release: United supporters challenge Joel Glazer to cut ticket prices for loyal fans

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MEDIA RELEASE: Manchester United supporters challenge Joel Glazer to cut United ticket prices for loyal fans next season

Manchester United ticket prices for next season are expected to be announced soon. The Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST) is challenging Joel Glazer to slash United's ticket prices after seeing huge rises in the early years following their takeover meanwhile revenue has rocketed and yet net transfer spending is lower than major Premier League rivals and even some mid-table Championship teams like Hull, Blackpool and Burnley.

Duncan Drasdo, chief executive of MUST said:

"The Glazers have been responsible for more than £500 million pounds flowing out of Manchester United in fees, charges and other payments relating to their hostile takeover of our club. Meanwhile the club has actually spent less in net transfer fees than not only our main rivals in Europe and the Premier League (City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs) but also had a lower net spend since 2006 than Villa, Sunderland and Stoke.

It's worse than that though - as reported in the Guardian in January this year - in the last three years United's net transfer spend has incredibly been less than Hull City, Blackpool and Burnley. The evidence from the independently produced league table of net transfer spending can't be obscured and this will shock many United fans.

Only the incredible efforts of Sir Alex Ferguson have allowed us to remain competitive in the Premier League - at times it feels like he is dragging the team towards a 20th League title by sheer willpower alone. However even Sir Alex's magical touch couldn't bridge that gap in Europe.

But despite Sir Alex's incredible feats it comes as a huge slap in the face for fans that in spite of the immense revenues flowing into the club there have been huge ticket price hikes for loyal fans since the Glazers' 2005 takeover.

Given this lack of squad investment while huge revenues are coming in and the Glazers have been constantly dipping into the clubs bank account, it is long overdue that the loyal supporters received a cut in their ticket prices. So today we are throwing down a challenge to Joel Glazer to cut United fans Season Ticket prices next season."


NOTES FOR EDITORS:
As confirmed by figures taken from independent site transferleague.co.uk http://bit.ly/HrSrqc Manchester United's net spend since 2006 is less than not only City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs but unbelievably also Villa, Sunderland and Stoke! This for a club which continually boasts about record turnover while extracting huge quantities of cash to cover the Glazers debt interest and bond purchases.

Furthermore as the Guardian reported in Jan 2012 http://bit.ly/HrS9Qi "the Glazers are siphoning money in such staggering quantities that, in the past three years, United's net spend is lower than that of Hull City, Blackpool and Burnley!"

David Conn reported http://bit.ly/ztm4mz in February 2012 that "the Glazer family have been responsible for £500m going out of United."

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Contacts:
Duncan Drasdo - MUST CEO
07883070876
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Duncan Drasdo
Chief Executive
MUST - the Manchester United supporters' trust
177,018 MEMBERS STRONG
www.joinmust.org
http://twitter.com/Drasdo
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